Combined air-feeder and flame-spreader.



. HERMAN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-l9, 19].)- N 1,174,980. Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

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COMBINED AIR FEEDER AND FLAME SPREADER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I9, 19I5.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

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COMBINED AI'R FEEDER AND FLAME SPREADER. APPLICATION FILED AUG.I9. 1915.

1,174,980. Patented Mar. 14, 1916. Q

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(fig .7 6 E witness 20 CLIFTON E. fiERMAN, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO.

COMBINED AIR-FEEDER AND FLAME-SPREADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

Application filed August '19, 1915. Serial No. 46,357.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFTON E. HERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Air- Feeders and Flame-Spreaders: and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact. description of the invention. such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates broadly to improvements in heating apparatus. and more particularly to an article which may be placed within the fire box of a furnace at substanparatively inexpensive. will possess a num-' ber of advantages and will accomplish the necessary results in an efficient manner.

\Vith this general obiect in view. the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and in unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed. the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of a furnace showing the application of one form of the invention: Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the furnace disclosing a top plan view of the grate thereof and the invention resting thereon; F ig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the device depicted in Figs. 1 and 2 Fig. 4. is a. disassembled perspective view showing the upper and lower sections thereof: Fig. 5 is a similar View of the cap member; Fig. 6 is yet another perspective of one of the centering arms: Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through a different type of furnace showing the application of a modified form of the invention; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of such form; Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section thereof, and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the lower section of the device shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9.

In these drawings which constitute a part of the application,similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, although the type of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5 will first be described.

To this end. the numeral 1 indicates a hollow upstanding continuous wall which is shown inclined upwardly and inwardly into approximately the shape of a truncated cone. The outer side of the wall 1 isprovided with a plurality of upright parallel ribs 2 which serve not only to transfer heat to said wall from coals within a fire box,

but as reinforcing means therefor, additional ribs 3 being provided on the interior of the wall for further reinforcing the same and for conveying heat inwardly therefrom.

Resting on the wall 1 and likewise in clined upwardly and inwardly but to less extent than the same. is an additional continuous wall 4 which is free from projections on both its interior and exterior, with the exception of a plurality of lugs 5 which project into the upper wall 1 and prevent dislocation of the wall 4.

Spaced above the wall 4 by a plurality of shouldered lugs or the like 6, is a cover plate 7 preferably equipped with a depending annular flange 8 surrounded by and spaced from the wall 4, the lugs being shown as joined integrally with said flange and with the plate 7.

When applying the device to use, it is essential to position the same in the exact cen ter of the furnace, and for this purpose I have devised the centering arms 9, each provided at its inner end with a pair of spaced upright fingers 10 receiving therein the lower edge of the wall 1, said edge being preferably nctohed at intervals for the reception of the inner. ends of the arms as clearly disclosed at 11 in Fig. 3. The lower edge of the wall 1 is also preferably provided with additional notches 12 for the passage of air.

By the provision of the arms 9, whether the latter be located as in the drawings or otherwise, the shell formed by the two walls 1 and 4. will be correctly centered in the fire box B upon the grate G. The arms in question may be made of various lengths for adapting the invention to fire boxes of numerous diameters, or if found desirable, may be made extensible for this purpose.

When the invention is applied to use, the coals within the fire box will be confined against the wall thereof and will therefore effectively heat the same, and the air which is heated in the shell by contact not only therewith, but with ribs 3,-will be expelled forcibly between the lugs 6 and will thus force the flames and exhaust gases outwardly into contact with the wall of the fire box, rather than allow the same to rise at the center of said box. By so doing, the efiiciency of the furnace is further increased, and due to the factthat pure hot air is abundantly fed to the fire box, inferior grades of fuel maybe consumed with good results, producing a clean and practically smokeless fire.

At times, it becomes expedient to check the passage of air from the top of the device and to cause the heated air to be expelled through the notches 12. For this purpose, the circular damper 13 is mounted upon stub shafts 14: and 15 in the upper section of the shell (the wall 4), the shaft 15 being equipped with an operating lever 16 having extending in opposite directions a pair of noses 17 for engagement with a poker or the like whereby the damper 13 may be 1 readily operated from the exterior of the furnace.

. In Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive, the construction of the invention is identical with that above described with the exception that the shell is of elongated rectangular formation rather fire boxes such as that disclosed at than of conical design, being formed of the lower and upper continuous walls 1 and 4 the lower edge of the former being provided with arms 19, while the upper wall is equipped with a cap member a and with a damper 13*- operable from the exterior of the furnace by the provision of a handle 16 similar to that designated at 16.

The type ofthe invention just described is designed for installation within elon ated in Fig. 7, and when so applied, the arms 9 sofabut the side walls of the box as to correctly center the shell therein.

It is to be observed that in both types of the invention, the lower wall inclines upwardly and inwardly to a greater extent than the upper wall and that the former is provided on its interior with ribs, while the upper wall is free of projections. By

this formation, the upward passage of the air is retarded to a certain extent in the lower wall and is effectively heated bv contact with the ribs thereon, thus causing such air to rise into the upper .wall in which it will be further heated and expanded. Due to the decreased area of horizontal cross section of the device at this point, the hot air will be, exhausted between the lugs on the cover plate in forcible jets, thereby ac: complishing the'results above specified in a more efficient manner than were the device of the same size throughout its height.

From'the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be evident that although both types of the invention are comparatively simple, they will be efficient and reliable and will possess a number of advantageous characteristics among the most important ofv which are the centering arms and the dampers.

In the drawings, certain specific details of construction have been shown for the attainment of probably the best results, and in the preceding such details have been described, but obviously I need not be restricted thereto otherwise than to the extent to which the appended claims limit me.

I claim:

1. An air feeder and flame spreader comprising a shell open atits bottom and having atv its top a hot air outlet, and a plurality of centering arms projecting outwardly from the shell and havingv seats at their inner ends receiving the lower edge thereof.

2. An air feeder and flame spreader comprising an upstanding continuous wall inclined upwardly and inwardly and having on its interior a plurality of upright ribs, anadditionalcontinuo-us wall rising from the aforesaid wall and inclined upwardly and inwardly to a less extent than the latter, and a cap member supported by the additional wall in spaced relation in respect, thereto. x

3. .An air feeder and flame spreader comprising an upstanding continuous wall inclined upwardly and inwardly and having I nesses.

CLIFTON E. HERMAN.

Witnesses:

- FRANK T. CLARKE,

THOS. H. BEN vnT'r. 

